Control system for dispenser for strip material



Nov. 11,1958 I J. c. BERNEY 2,859,814

CONTROL SYSTEM FOR DISPENSER FOR STRIP MATERIAL Filed Feb. 6, 1956cl'osE/ H CI BEE/way,

INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 11, 1958 CONTROL SYSTEM FOR DISPENSER FOR STRIP MATERIALJoseph C. Berney, Pasadena, Calif., assignor to Towlsaver, Inc., LosAngeles, Calif a corporation of California Application February 6, 1956,Serial No. 563,510 4 Claims. (Cl. 16484.5)

This invention relates to a control system for dispensers for stripmaterial which is customarily supplied by the manufacturer in roll form.

, In describing the construction and operation of the quality controlmechanism, it will be illustrated as embodied in a dispenser for rollpaper towels but it is, of course, not intended that the principles ofthe invention be limited to such a specific application since it isreadily conceivable that it may be applied to dispensers for other typesof material. 1

As is Well known to those skilled in the art, paper toweling is providedin rolls of different sizes containing paper toweling of differentqualities. For instance, it is now conventional practice to providepaper towels not intended for use in drying the hands, but for use asmachine and tool wipers in manufacturing plants and special dispensersare set up in the manufacturing plants for the reception of rolls ofsuch towels. On the other hand, roll paper toweling dispensers forordinary bathroom use are provided in the restrooms for the reception ofconventional roll paper toweling of predetermined quality.

Furthermore, machines of the character under consideration here areusually intended for the reception of a roll of toweling ofpredetermined size containing an established quantity of toweling whichwill permit the custodian who services the restroom to determine, in ageneral way, when refilling of the towel dispenser is necessary. Whenthe towel dispenser is refilled with the brand of toweling for which itis designed, no problems arise since the purchaser of the toweling andthe custodian can be assured that the same quantity of toweling of knownquality is being provided. On the other hand, there are many towelingsuppliers who pro vide rolls of toweling of inferior quality and smallerquantity and, therefore, the installation of such substitute rolls oftoweling involves injury both to the purchaser of the toweling and tothe individual utilizing the toweling.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a control systemfor a roll toweling dispenser whereby the substitution of a roll oftoweling of inadequate size or of different quality from thatcustomarily installed in the dispenser may be detected and whereby thedischarge of such toweling from the dispenser may be prevented.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a control system ofthe aforementioned type which is incorporated in the towel dispenser andwhich is adapted to be utilized in conjunction with roll toweling of apredetermined configuration. Therefore, as the toweling is dispensed,the control mechanism incorporated in the housing of the towel dispenserwill sense the presence of the configuration and will permit thetoweling to be dispensed from the towel dispenser. On the other hand,should the control mechanism detect the absence 'of the configurationfrom the toweling being dispensed from the dispenser, it is adapted totreat or otherwise mark the toweling in order that means for preventingthe discharge of the inferior toweling from the dispenser may operateupon said toweling and prevent the dis-. charge thereof.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a control mechanismfor a roll towel dispenser which includes a sensing member adapted tosense the presence or absence of a configuration on the roll toweling asit is dispensed, said sensing member being provided with means forautomatically deforming, marking, or other: wise treating the strip oftoweling as it is fed through the dispenser to prepare it, prior to itsadvance to means for preventing the discharge of the strip of towelingso deformed, marked or treated in order that the means for preventingthe discharge of the toweling will op.- erate upon the marked, deformed,or treated strip of toweling and prevent the discharge thereof from thetowel dispenser.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing specification and accompanying drawing which is for thepurpose of illustration only and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a paper towel dispenserincorporating the control mechanism of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view showing the manner in which oneform of the control mechanism of my invention can be incorporated in thedispensing mechanism of the towel dispenser shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view taken from the broken line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the sensingmember of the control mechanism of my invention initiates its sensingcycle;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the sensing member detecting thepresence of the configuration on the toweling being dispensed; and

Fig. 6 is a view showing the manner in which an inferior orinappropriate roll of toweling is altered and marked by the sensingmember of the sensing mechanism to permit the means for preventing thedischarge of such toweling to operate upon an altered portion thereofand prevent discharge of the same from the dispenser.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof I show atowel dispenser 10 constructed in accordance with my invention andincorporated in a housing 12 which is adapted to be aflixed to avertical surface such as a wall, not shown, so that paper toweling maybe dispensed therefrom. The housing 12 includes a lower portion 14 onwhich is pivotally mounted a closure 16 constituting the upper partthereof.

Located in the lower portion 14 of the housing 12 is a dispensingmechanism, generally indicated at 18, said dispensing mechanismincluding a rotatable handle 20 which is secured to a shaft 22 journaledin a side wall of the lower portion 14 of the housing 12 and which hasmounted thereupon a main drive gear 24, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3of the drawing. The main drive gear 24 is in mesh with an idler gear 26which, in turn, engages a gear 28. The gear 28 is mounted on oneextremity of a shaft 30 which supports a dispensing roller 32, as bestshown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing.

An auxiliary guide roller 34 is mounted for rotation on a shaft 36 andis juxtaposed to the dispensing roller 32. Mounted in the side wall ofthe lower portion 14 of the housing 12 is a stub shaft 38, said stubshaft having a gear 40 which engages the gear 28 on the shaft 30 andwhich drives a bevel gear 42 on the opposite extremity of the shaft 38.

Mounted in a bracket 44 affixed to the side wall of the lower portion 14of the housing 12 is a rotatable shaft 46, said shaft having a bevelgear 48 mounted thereupon and in mesh with the bevel gear 42 on the stubshaft 38. Secured to the opposite extremity of the shaft 46-is thesensing and detecting means 50 which constitutes apart of the qualitycontrol system and mechanism ofmy invention. The sensing and detectingmeans 50 is rotatable by the shaft 46 and has a cutter 52 @providedthereupon, for a purpose which will be described-ingreater detail below.

Therefore, as the actuating handle 20 is rotated in a clockwisedirection, as indicated by the arrow 54 in Fig. 2 ofthe drawing, themain drive gear 24 will cause rotation of the gears 26 and 28 to rotatethe dispensing roller '32 in conjunction with the shaft 30 upon which itis mounted. Simultaneously, the gear 28 will rotate gears 40, 42, and 48to cause concomitant rotation of the-shaft 46 about an axisperpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft 36 which supports thedispensing roller'32; Rotation of the shaft 46 causes concomitantrotation of the sensing and detecting means 50 and the cutter 52 isrotated therewith so that downward movemerit of the cutter in thedirection shown by the arrows 56 in Figs. and 6 of the drawing isaccomplished.

The lower portion 14 of the housing 12 of the towel dispenser isprovided with receptacle means 60 constituted by U-shaped yokes 62, suchas that shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Supported in the receptaclemeans 60 by trunnions 64, or the like, is a roll 66 of paper towelingwhich is adapted to be dispensed in the form of an elongated strip 68from the towel dispenser 10 through a dispensing opening 70 formed inthe bottom wall portion 14 of the housing 12 which has a cut-ofr blade72 juxtaposed thereto so that a piece of the strip may be torn off bythe user of the dispenser 10.

The roll 66 of paper toweling is provided with a specific configuration76, as best illustrated in Figs. 3-5 of the drawing, said configurationbeing constituted, in the present embodiment of the invention, bysuccessive displaceable portions 78 along the edge of the strip oftoweling dispensed from the roll 66, said displaceable portions beingdefined by preformed cuts or openings 80 in said edge of the strip oftoweling. It will be noted that the configuration 76 is formed in thatedge of the strip of toweling adjacent the sensing and detecting means50 so that the sensing and detecting means 50 can discern J the presenceof the configuration 76 on the juxtaposed edge of the strip of towelingbeing dispensed through the towel dispenser 10, or its absence from saidstrip. Thus, the configuration of the edge of the strip 63 is defined bythe cuts or openings 80.

The roll 66 of paper toweling is located in the lower part 14 of thehousing 12 by disposing the trunnions 64 at the opposite ends thereof inthe slots in the U-shaped yokes 62,;as best shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawing. The strip 68 of toweling is then wrapped around the guiderol1er 34 and about the dispensing roller 32 in order that the leadingend thereof may be threaded through the dispensing opening 70 in thebottom wall of the bottom portion-1401f the housing 12. It is, ofcourse, important that the ;edge of the strip 68 of toweling bearing theconfiguration 76 be juxtaposed to the detecting and sensing means 50therefor. Rotation of the actuator handle 20 will cause concomitantrotation of the various gears of the dispensing mechanism 18 in themanner described hereinabove and, as the dispensing roller 32 rotates,thestrip 68 of toweling will be drawn thereover to cause movement of thestrip 68 through the housing 12 of the towel dispenser 1t and thence outof the dispensing opening 70.

If desired, a pressure roll, not shown, can be juxtaposed to thedispensing roller 32 in a manner well known to those skilled in the artin order that optimum tractive efiort may be asserted upon the strip 68of paper toweling disposed over the dispensing roll 32. V Rotation ofthe geartrain of the dispensing mechanism 18 causes concomitant rotationof the shaft 46 and the detecting and sensing means mounted thereupon.Therefore, the cutter 52 on the sensing and detecting means 50 iscontinuously rotated during rotation of the actuator handle 20 intoengagement with successive displaceable portions 78 of the configurationon the edge of the strip 63 of toweling to displace the same downwardlyin the manner graphically illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawing.After the displacement of the displaceable portions 78 on the edge ofthe strip 68 of the toweling, they spring back into the plane of theremainder of the strip and pass over the guide roller 34 between theperiphery thereof and means 86 which prevents discharge of toweling notbearing the quality identifying means from the dispenser.

The means for preventing discharge of rolls of different quality oftoweling not intended for use in the towel dispenser 10 is constitutedby an elongated shearing blade 90 juxtaposed to the periphery of theguide roller 34 and its operation will be described in greater detailbelow. Therefore, since the edge of the cutter 52 on the sensing anddetecting means 50 merely displaces the successive displaceable portions78 of the configuration on the edge of the towel strip 68, free passageof the strip and ultimate discharge thereof through the dispensingopening is accomplished.

On the other band, should a roll 98 of different quantity or quality oftoweling be installed in the towel dispenser 10 not bearing theconfiguration 76, the strip 102 of toweling can be threaded through thedispensing mechanism 18 and through the dispensing opening 70.Nevertheless, when the rotation of the gear train incorporated in thedispensing mechanism 18 is initiated by the rotation of the actuatorhandle 20, initiation of the rotation of the sensing and detecting means50 will be accomplished causing the cutter 52 thereupon to engage theadjacent edge of the strip 102 of toweling 98. It will be noted that theouter portion of the cutter 52 is angularly oriented, as best shown inFig. 3 of the drawing, to bite into the edge of the strip 102 of papertoweling as it is drawn from the roll 98.

Since the toweling is maintained under considerable tension, the cutter52 will make a jagged tear 92 therein, as best illustrated in Fig. 6 ofthe drawing. Continued movement of the strip 102 of toweling causes thetear 92 to be increased until the sensing and detecting means 50 isrotated below the path of movement of the strip 102 of toweling. Uponultimately reaching the means for preventing discharge of toweling ofdifferent quality from the dispenser 10, the leading edge 94 of the cutor tear 92 engages the shearing or cutting blade 90 and a complete cutor tear 96 is created across the width of the strip 102 which preventsfurther withdrawal of unauthorized or unsuited toweling from the toweldispenser 10.

Obviously, the rotation of the dispensing mechanism 18 must be carefullysynchronized with the rotation of the sensing and detecting means 50 inorder-that a proper number of revolutions of the detecting means 50during a single dispensing cycle will be achieved and in order thatthere may be a correlation between the rotation of the sensing anddetecting means and the configuration on the strip of paper towelingitself.

Of course, while I have disclosed the principles of my invention asembodied inthe specific form discussed in detail hereinabove, it is, ofcourse, feasible that various adaptations of the concept of my inventionmight be made which will still fall within the scope of the claimsappended hereto.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a control system for preventing sheet material from beingdispensed from a roll thereof where said sheet material is not of apredetermined configuration cooperative with said control system, thecombination of: a housing having receptacle means therein for thereceptionpf said roll; dispensing mechanism secured in said housing forwithdrawing said sheet material from said roll and discharging it fromsaid housing; detecting means in said housing engageable with said sheetmaterial to determine whether said sheet material is of saidpredetermined configuration, said detecting means having means thereuponfor altering the condition of said sheet material should it not be ofsaid predetermined configuration; and means in said housing engageablewith the altered portion of said sheet material to prevent furtherdispensing of said sheet material from said housing.

2. In a control system for preventing sheet material from beingdispensed from a roll thereof where said sheet material is not of apredetermined configuration cooperative with said control system, thecombination of: a housing having receptacle means therein for thereception of said roll; dispensing mechanism secured in said housing forwithdrawing said sheet material from said roll and discharging it fromsaid housing; a detector in said housing engageable with the portion ofsaid sheet material upon which said configuration should appear, saiddetector being constituted by a cutter movable into engagement with saidsheet material and adapted to tear the same should said configurationnot be present on said sheet material to receive said cutter; and ablade on said housing engageable with said sheet material at the tornportion thereof to sever said torn portion within the housing andprevent further dispensing of said sheet material from said housing.

3. In a control system for preventing sheet material from beingdispensed from a roll thereof where said sheet material is not of apredetermined configuration cooperative with said control system, thecombination of: a housing having receptacle means therein for thereception of said roll; dispensing mechanism secured in said housing forwithdrawing said sheet material from said roll and discharging it fromsaid housing; a detector in said housing engageable with the portion ofsaid sheet material upon which said configuration should appear,

said detector including a rotatable cutter operatively connected withsaid dispensing mechanism to synchronize its movement with saidmechanism, said cutter being adapted to tear said sheet material if saidsheet material is not of said predetermined configuration; and means insaid housing engageable with the torn portion of said sheet material tosever said sheet material and prevent further dispensing thereof fromsaid housing.

4. In a control system for preventing sheet material from beingdispensed from a roll thereof where said sheet material is not of apredetermined configuration cooperative with said control system, thecombination of: a housing having receptacle means therein for thereception of said roll; dispensing mechanism secured in said housing forwithdrawing said sheet material from said roll and discharging it fromsaid housing; a detector in said housing engageable with the portion ofsaid sheet material upon which said configuration should appear, saiddetector including a rotatable cutter operatively connected with saiddispensing mechanism to synchronize its movement with said mechanism,said cutter being adapted to tear said sheet material if said sheetmaterial is not of said predetermined configuration; and a blade on saidhousing engageable with said sheet material at the torn portion thereofto sever said torn portion within the housing and prevent furtherdispensing of said sheet material from said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS736,783 Robinson et al Aug. 18, 1903 947,744 Stohr Jan. 25, 19101,128,518 Rohland Feb. 16, 1915 1,759,344 Chessman May 20, 19302,105,928 Perrin Jan. 18, 1938 2,215,052 Price et al Sept. 17, 19402,256,458 Morck Sept. 16, 1941

